Well this was an inevitability. I’m not typically one to pick up the mobile games or review them for that matter. I tend to stick to PC and consoles since I consider most mobile games to be little more than scams to get people to pay $2,500 for a little bit of time wasting. However, the possibility of becoming a Pokemon Master using GPS coordinated maps is something that not even my cynical ass can ignore. So yeah, I picked up Pokemon Go just like the thousands of other people who have given the game the old college try and I have to say that I am pleasantly surprised at how enjoyable it is and not just in a “let me give you my life savings for some way to pass time on the shitter.”

In Pokemon Go you take on the role of an aspiring Pokemon master. You are giving a starting Pokemon and beyond that you must go out and literally explore the world. You go to various locations, visit popular landmarks, and collect items and Pokemon. You can later go to gyms once you reach level 5 to train your Pokemon and potentially become a gym leader.

Pros

The True Pokemon Experience

Ever wanted to know what it would be like to just be a Pokemon trainer? Not the predestined Red who is out to save the world from the evils of Team Rocket and learn the meaning of friendship? Do you just want to raise Pokemon, battle them, and possible fight in gyms? Well then your true Pokemon experience has arrived! This game is the real fucking deal when it comes to a simulation. You wander around the world, looking for Pokemon, catching them in some of the oddest places, and teaming up with your friends to take on those who stand against you by joining teams Instinct, Valor, and Mystic. Also, I do have to add that their is some fun and a little worry coming from these teams as people almost have taken on a gang mentality driving around town and claiming gyms from the other team like some sort of territory war.

On a more chipper note though, while I do kind of giggle that I run into a Horsea in the middle of Athens Ohio where the nearest body of water is two miles to my left, I do enjoy the fact that their does seem to be a method to the madness when it comes to Pokemon generation giving it a more realistic feeling. I have notice a high concentration of ghost Pokemon in cemeteries. I have run into a more wide variety of forest dwelling Pokemon near my apartment that has a large patch of trees near it, and I wouldn’t be surprised if I went near the power plant across town that I would run into a Voltorb or Magnemite.

Full Implementation of a Phone’s Capabilities

This is a mobile game that truly maximizes everything that a game and app can do with a phone. It uses the camera to portray the Pokemon in the wild. It uses GPS tracking to show where players go in the world. It uses landmarks from all over the planet for players to walk to. It truly implements all aspects of the phone in

Graphics are Pretty Good Too

I’m not saying that they are going to blow people away. But for a mobile game, the graphics are not half bad. Pokemon look like they do in the regular games. They are typically somewhat scaled to size to what they would look like, and over all I think it is a job well done when it comes to how the game looks.

Cons

Things Can Get a Little Dangerous

With reports of muggings, car accidents, people wandering into random locations without paying attention to their surroundings… Yeah things are getting a little dicey out there for a Pokemon trainer. While this may be linked more to player error instead of gameplay mechanics, the fact that this game is causing multiple people to have accidents in varying degrees of pain and suffering is a legitimate problem. I, myself, have had Pokemon spawn in the street which I quickly moved to a safe location to avoid… Though I doubt others will have the same foresight, people have wandered into Pokestops prompting others like police officers to jovially chastise them, and within one day there is already a “Don’t play Go and drive” picture. Do you know how long it took the “don’t text and drive” photos to come up? Too damn long!

Free to Play… Spend Your Money for Perks

This is going to be a con in every game that has it. But the fact that you can buy pokecoins, pokeballs, incense, and so forth with actual money that ranges from $20 to $100 FUCKING DOLLARS is despicable. Granted, it isn’t as bad as most mobile games which is basically gambling without a payoff, but the fact that there is a $100 option is absolutely disgusting in my book.

Yes, I get it, games need to make money. But this is getting to the point where mobile games become something of an addiction and people spend thousands of dollars for time passing fun on a mobile game. It is a dangerous trend that will be panned by me no matter where it pops up.

Like I said though… It isn’t the worst offender and you can have plenty of fun if you never spend a dollar on it… That still doesn’t change the fact that the act alone makes my skin crawl from the exploitation.

Conclusion

While I do dislike the purchasing options and the fact that the game has been buggy upon release with multiple server errors, I do have to admit that this may very well be the best mobile video game to ever be released. It is truly an immersive experience. You will spend hours and constantly recharge your batteries as you explore the world filled to the brim with Pokemon and adventure!

Final Score: 4/5

Thank you for reading! Please remember to stay safe out there and do not wander into private property hunting down a Vulpix. Also like and subscribe for more.